The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-21
TO URGE LOWER RATES.
BUSINESS MEN DISCUSS COMPRESS
CHARGES.

An Effort to Correct the Discrimi-
nation Between Local and Through
Business.
The call for meeting of the business men
of the city who are interested in the matter
of COMPRISING cotton met with a ready re-
Spouse, and about fifty representative bust
ness men met yesterday at the Office of II.
N. Conner & Co, and discussed the ad-
vance in charges and the effect it is likely to
have upon the business of the port. William
Hunter. Esq, was elected chairman, and
Mr. Beirne Gordon secretary
The meeting called upon Mr.. Conner for
statement of his views concerning the mat
ter, and he briefly stated the views of those
opposed to the advance. He said that he
could not understand any proposition
that would lead to the belief
that increased port charges will
draw business to Savannah Any such
theory is opposed to all the laws of
commerce, for it is a fact beyond dispute
that everything else being equal the cheap
est route will draw the trade. OF course, if
the freight rates were to remain the same
the high rates of COMPRISING would be an
advantage, but already the steamship COM
pany has issued a notice that freights win
be advanced. He thought the matter would
be simplified if the ships would quote a COM
press rate, or rate on compressed cotton
delivered at the side of the vessel.
A DIFFERENT OPINION.
Capt. John Flannery, when called upon,
said that he disagreed with Mr. Conner upon
the last point that he made. He did not think
that a compress rate could be quoted be-
cause the press had to care for the cotton for
certain time, and had sometimes to trans
fer the cotton to wharves where the ship
might be lying. This the press had TO do,
because the railroad did it. He thought the
COMPRISING would ultimately go to the in
terror, but the low rate was the OK cart
fashion of sending it there, while the high
rate was the steam engine style. The low
rate would keep it in Savannah for twenty
or thirty years, while the high rate would
drive it out in about five, and he did not
like to see compressed cotton come to the fac
tors, because as it could not be examined it
had to be guaranteed, and he thought some
or the shippers might take advantage of
that to get rid of their sandy or damaged
cotton. The factor would guarantee it, and
ayear later reclamation would come back,
and he thought that very undesirable way
of doing business.
Capt. j. B. West thought that a low rate
would invariably attract vessel to a port.
Ii they had to pay only 35c. here and Csc. in
Charleston they would come here. He had
heard that the business of Charleston was
affected by the earthquake, but that had
nothing to do with it.
THE RATE AT NEW ORLEANS.
Mr.. j. B. Duckworth said that he would
like to state to the meeting what New Or
leans has done. The compress rate had been
advanced there and drayage and all other
charges had been made correspondingly
higher, but the factors found that the local
business was being entirely ruined and now
they had reduced all of these charges,
making total reduction of 40c., and il Sa-
vannah added soc. it would give New Or
leans an advantage of roc, which he thought
would turn a large amount of the Alabama
and Western Georgia business to that
market
Gen. E. p Alexander, President of the
Central railroad, was called upon for his
views. and he said that representative of
the Press Association came to him and
stated that by the action of the Central
railroad the press had been forced to reduce
its charges; that it was bad for them and
bad for the port, and he would like TO know
whether the road would consent to an adj
vance. At first he took the view of it that
Mr.. Conner had presented, viz: If you re-
duce the price a greater bulk will take that
route. He thought the principle right, and
said that the rates would have to remain,
but facts and figures were brought to him
and he then concluded that if freight re-
manned the same from the planter to Man.
chester it made no difference whether the
charge was reduced or not.
EFFECT UPON THE PORT.
He did not care TO ask how it would affect
the compress, or the factor, or the shipper,
or the expofter-tnat was not the question
What was to be considered was the port, and
what was to be looked at was the flow of
business TO the port.
He did not stop TO think whether it would
benefit the presses in the interior; he WAS
opposed to interior presses, for he preferred
to handle uncompressed cotton. The little
drop of Doc. would not affect the grand flow
of business because there were too many
other influences that bore upon the question.
The crops, the rates elsewhere,
and numerous questions, all of
which had TO be considered, but
the change would not affect the market,
would not affect the quotations, unless there
were other combinations. What he was
working for was the interest of the port.
He would be glad if the interest of the factor
and others were correspondingly advanced,
but he could not let the interest of any one
class affect his actions.
THE COTTON POOL.
Gen. Alexander then read the footings
of the pool record, showing that while both
Savannah and Charleston have fallen off in
the pool the falling off in Savannah had
been greater than in Charleston.
Mr.. Hunter asked if the reason of that
was not the excess of the rebate in Charles
ton over Savannah.
Gen. Alexander replied that Charleston
has always received a rebate of 75c, while
Savannah got only &C., and he thought that
difference had given Charleston the advan-
tage
Mr.. Duckworth said that Gen. Alexander
had brought up a question whether 1-32d or
Soc. per bale would have any effect in Man
chester. He wished to say that If his COM
petitor could offer cotton at even Zoe less
than he, his competitor would make the
sale and he would be left. This happened
almost every week, and Charleston and
Norfolk undersold him.
THE NATTER OF REBATES.
Gen. Alexander asked if that was not be-
2sncApse the rebate was greater at those points.
# blr. Duckworth replied that the rebate
n greater there, but when il was ad-
lced here the notice was given by the
amships that freights would be advanced
III. Conner offered a resolution that began
" Saying that, whereas, the charges in tho
81 s,,.l. 49, l. Ill